Program Details

M.S. in Education degree program: teacher of students with disabilities in early childhood education (birth-grade 2)HEGIS code 0808NYS SED program code 26726

The graduate program in special education prepares candidates to work in schools and other educational settings that serve individuals with disabilities and their families. Candidates are provided experiences in varied educational settings that prepare them to work in culturally diverse urban school settings. A range of 30-45 credits is required. The number of credits and their sequence are determined by the candidate's previous teacher preparation.

Program Heads

Please contact the department for information on academic advisers and office hours.

Admission Requirements

No admission requirement information available for this program at this time.

Applicants are admitted to this program in the spring and fall semesters. Applications for the spring semester must be received by November 1 and applications for the fall semester must be received by March 1.

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Matriculation requirements
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Applicants must obtain and file an application form in the program office in addition to the regular college admissions form. Applicants are interviewed and must submit three appropriate letters of recommendation.

Applicants must present a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.00. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 in graduate education courses is required to maintain matriculation. International applicants for whom English is a second language are required to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based test or 213 on the computer-based test or 79 on the internet-based test, before being considered for admission.

Applicants who do not meet these standards may be considered for admission based on other evidence of high capacity for graduate studies.

Applicants must have successfully completed a New York State Initial Certificate in one of the following New York State approved teacher certification areas:
a) early childhood education,
b) childhood education,
c) middle childhood education,
d) adolescence education,
e) special subjects, or
f) teacher of students with speech and language disabilities, or the equivalent preparation and/or certification.

Applicants are interviewed and required to demonstrate written proficiency in English.

Students should note additional requirements found at the beginning of this section as well as in the sections "Admission" and "Academic Regulations and Procedures."

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Degree requirements
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Thirty or 33 credits are required for the degree. Students take different education courses and credit options depending on their previous course work, teaching experience, and the certificates they hold.
During the first term students in either option (30 or 33 credits) must file a program of study approved by the head of the Program in Teaching Students with Disabilities in Early Childhood and Childhood Education.
- Thirty credit option:
This option is for students holding an Initial Certificate in one of the New York State approved teacher certification areas and an Initial Certificate in Teaching Students with Disabilities.
Students complete 15 credits in the following courses: ECAE 7115, ECAE 7104T or CBSE 7665T, CBSE 7113T, 7680T, and 7656T; and 6 credits in elective courses in teaching students with disabilities. The remaining 9 credits consist of ECAE 7108T, 7109T, and 7116T with approval from program heads of the Program in Early Childhood Education. Students are required to complete an independent research project under advisement of a faculty member in CBSE 7656T.
- Thirty-three credit option:
This option is for students holding an Initial Certificate in one of the New York State approved teacher certification areas, and having had no course work in teaching students with disabilities and no student teaching experience with students with disabilities in Birth - Grade 2.
Students must complete 33 credits in the following courses, which should be taken in this order: CBSE 7674T and 7672T; CBSE 7665T or ECAE 7104T and ECAE 7115T; CBSE 7113T and 7663T; 7678T and 7680T; 7675T and 7656T; and CBSE 7681T, Seminar and Student Teaching: Students with Special Needs.
Students must complete at least 50 hours of supervised field experience and at least 20 days of student teaching (teaching students with disabilities in early childhood). In addition, students must complete a research project under advisement of a faculty member in CBSE 7656.